2016.... and we are up and running!

Sorry I could not wait until January 10 to do my first promised blog, but I thought I should explain what bird recording is all about. So now here’s the bird news!!

2016 Targets.   100 birds in the January. Mark you, one birder I know has this target, but to be completed in Derbyshire! I will be lucky if I find 100 in England!  Bit of a hint there, because I’m going on a bird trip to Aviemore mid month so that will help, although I am hoping any snow drifts are less than 5ft 3in, otherwise I won’t see much!

January 1. Most people still in bed or nursing the excess from the night before, and I’m defrosting the car at 8.15am. But that’s what the keen brigade does. So 3 of us hit Markeaton Park and manage to identify 23 different birds. A lovely Jay was hopping about with Woodpigeons, Nuthatches were up noisily getting breakfast, but otherwise it was the usual suspects, finches, tits, corvids, ducks etc.

So we moved to Radbourne where I knew of a field good for winter thrushes, and we were not disappointed. Plenty of Fieldfare, Redwings and Goldfinches. After an abortive diversion for Brambling, we then headed up the A6 to Cromford, to try and see Hawfinch. We ticked off Pheasant and Rook on the way, but I’m afraid we dipped on the Hawfinch. (Dipped?.. bird speak for “went looking but didn’t find”..it’s in Wikipaedia!)

However what turned out to be the BOD (more bird speak “The Bird of the Day”) as we walked along the River Derwent towards Matlock, was a superb Dipper, busily diving and feeding. So if he can do it, so did we and went for an enjoyable snack lunch at Cromford Mill. (28 so far)

Replete and warmed up, we next visited Carsington Water and popped into the Sheepwash hide then the Wildlife Centre. The Great Northern Diver was a distant view as were Shelduck, handsome Goldeneyes were seeable, and winter visitors such as Teal and Pochard were about. Carsington is a good site for Tree Sparrows, and we found them on the feeders with Bullfinches and Willow Tits.

Bad light stopped play, we left with 46, which sounds better as 23% of the years target!

January 3, the first Sunday of the month, is normally my Bird Watching for Beginners walk (BWB), and 19 people turned up for the 2 hour walk. 30 minutes later, with just a distant view of the Diver, it was back to a warm room in the visitor centre for hot chocolate, a quiz and some bird id questions. Only the second time in 128 walks that we have had to abort.

At 11.30, we opted for the wildlife centre for half an hour birding, and apart from Redshank and 32 Snipe, the absolute hi-lite was a white leucistic snipe. This rarity is due to the bird lacking melanin pigment resulting in white feathers. Often leucistic birds do not survive as they are alien to the normal species and get attacked.

January 4, did my monthly bird count for DOS at Markeaton Park, and found 2 tiny Goldcrest, the smallest British bird, plus Goosander.

January 5, I’ll have to hold over the excellent day about Hawfinch at Rufford, and 50 + species at Old Moor until next week.

NOTE that the cracking new hide being built by the Garganey Trust at Broomfill Flash (near Old Moor) does mean there is currently no public hide. Check before going there – we didn’t! Opening date not known.

Not finished the first week yet, but I’m on 55 – now that IS a good omen.